Tutthill
submersible pump



Aug. 9, 1966 E. TUTTHILL SUBMERSIBLE PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed MarchL3, 1961 .9 I! 47. O 5 MW 2 7 I 34@% 5 K W w x I. 7

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United States Patent Oflice 3,254,999 Patented August 9, 1956 3,264,999SUBMERSIBLE PUMP Fred E. Tutthill, Grafton, Ohio, assignor to Kenco PumpDivision of the American Crucible Products Company, Lorain, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 152,703 13 Claims.(Cl. 103-87) This invention relates to submersible pumps and moreparticularly to submersible pumps adapted for use as bilge pumps and thelike.

Submersible pumps have found wide use and adoption as bilge pumps forevacuating accumulated water and liquid from the bilges of small boatsand the like. This use has found expanded application as boating hasbecome an increasingly popular and common form of recreation.

Such popular use has, however, brought new demands for smaller, moreefiicient, compact and economical submersible pumps as the existing artand practice has not provided the effective, low-cost submersible bilgepumps which widespread usage demands. Further the many and differentsizes and designs of boats having limited sizes, shapes and functionalarrangements of bilges and bilge pump locations have required themanufacture and sale of excessive numbers of styles and designs of pumpsadapted for use for particular boats and pump locations and/or themodification and adaption of the boat and bilge pump locations toreceive the existing styles and sizes of bilge pumps. The diflicultiesof the situation have been increased by the fact that many bilges andpump locations are small and require compact pump units. Heretofore suchpumps could be located in only limited positions in view of the size andshape of the pump location and the relative disposition of the pumpintake, and the pump discharge outlet. Further, bilges are frequentlyhighly contaminated with debris and the like and prior pumps havefrequently become clogged, inoperative and/ or damaged because of theinability to provide suffi-cient, efi'ective screening within the sizeand space confines required by the intended use of the pump.

The general object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a new,improved, and more efiicient and effective submersible pump for bilgesand the like.

Other objects of this invention include the provision of a new,improved, and more efficient and effective submersible pump for bilgesand the like, which is economically manufactured and used; which isadapted to have eifective and efiicient pumping action whether the pumpbe stood upright or laid on any of its sides; which is readily disposedto have proper relative location of pump inlet and outlet in pumplocations of many shapes and sizes, with moderate adjustment readilyaccomplished, quickly and easily, with unskilled labor and without theneed of elaborate or expensive tools, or any additional piping,fittings, coupling, or the like; which provides a large area ofscreening for protecting the pump from debris and the like withoutincreasing the overall height of the pump or the overall diameter,except for the nominal thickness of the screen and securing means; whichis adapted to be disposed in multiple positions either upright or on anyof its sides and is provided with selectively adjusted means whereby toensure evacuation of the bilge or receptacle in which it is disposed toa low level; which includes means for mounting over the pump intakeopening which is readily disposed to effectively locate or extend theintake opening to a position closely adjacent the member upon which thepump is disposed whether the pump is disposed upright or on its sides-asrequired by considerations of size and shape of space and location ofthe discharge piping with which the pump is to be connected.

A still further object of this invention is to provide improved means,for submersible pumps and the like having central intake openings intheir bottom, which locates or extends the eiiective intake opening in aselectively. predetermined direction to a position adjacent the side orlateral edge of the pump.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new, improved, andeconomical submersible pump which is low in cost; which has an improvedhousing structure, including improved means for joining the housing intoa functional whole and sealing the motor chamber and improved means forscreening the impeller; and, which has eifective pumping action whetherit stands upright or is disposed on any of its sides, as selectivelypredetermined and easily and readily adjusted for by the user.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a submersiblepump having and obtaining one or more of the objects and advantageshereinbefore set forth.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will appear inthe following description of a preferred form thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of pump embodyingthis invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the lines 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the pump shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the base member of the pump shown inFIGURE 1.

A pump embodying a preferred form of this invention is indicatedgenerally at 1, FIGURES l and 2.

Pump 1 includes a conventional motor 2 having the usual rotor and stator(not shown) encased in a suitable, generally cylindrical casing 4 ofmetal or the like. Electrical leads 5 extend from the motor and areadapted for connection with a suitable power source. A shaft 7 extendsfrom the rotor through the casing 4 and an impeller 10 is mountedthereon and driven thereby when the electrical circuit is completedthrough the motor.

In order to properly support and mount motor 2, while protecting andisolating it from water and other deleterious elements to which it wouldotherwise be exposed, during use, provide an elIective volute chamberfor the impeller 10 and obtain the objects of this invention, motor 2and impeller 10 are disposed within a housing, indicated generally at11. Housing 11 includes a transverse member 13, which is disposedperpendicular to the axis of shaft 7 and divides the interior of thehousing into a motor chamber 14 and an impeller chamber 16. As

will hereinafter more fully appear, motor chamber 14 is sealed so as toprotect the motor against entry water and other liquids and deleteriousmatter. Housing 11 is provided with a suitable aperture 17, sealed, asby seal 19, through which the leads 5 are conducted and member 13,

of housing 11, is provided with a central aperture through which shaft 7extends.

Volute 16 is provided with a suitable intake opening 22, disposed at andadjacent the eye of the impeller 10, and a discharge opening and outlet23. Outlet 23 is adapted to be interconnected with suitable dischargepiping at the use site, so that the pump efliuent can be conducted awayfrom the bilge or space from which liquid is to be pumped.

In order to provide an eflicient, effective, low cost pump having thesealed motor chamber 14 and volute 16, housing 11 preferably includes afirst cylindrical member 25 having a wall 26, an end 28, and a secondsubstantially cylindrical member 30, having a longitudinally extendingmember 31 and the horizontal member 13, disposed intermediate the endsthereof.

Member 31 has a first cylindrical part defining the walls 33 of volute16 and adapted to align with the wall 26 in the assembled housing 11 anda second cylindrical interlock member 34- which extends within member 25and engages and seals against the interior of walls 26. To this endinterlock 34 preferably includes an annular groove or seat 36, withinwhich a conventional seal 37 is disposed. Seal 37 functionally engagesboth wall 26 and interlock member 34 and seals the opening therebetween.

In order to provide positive engagement between members 25 and 30 ofhousing 11, as well as provide an economical unit, the said members arepreferably molded as unitary plastic members. Wall 26 is provided with aplurality of internal, annular grooves 39 adjacent the open end ofmember 25 and interlock 34 has a plurality of external annular ribs 40,which have a slanted forward, upper as viewed, and perpendicular(relative to the axis of shaft 7) rearward (lower as viewed) surface.Ribs All are adapted to compress and slide past the grooves 39 asinterlock 34 is forced into member 25 and then expand or press outwardlyand interengage with the respective grooves 39 to prevent interlock 34from being pulled out of housing member 25 once the ribs 40 have seatedin the grooves. Accordingly, member 30 is molded of material, such asDelrin, having suflicient resiliency to cause the ribs to compress andthen press outwardly into the grooves with an outwardly directed forceof sufficient magnitude to ensure effective engagement between thehousing members. This outwardly directed force, exerted by interlock 34,also, aids in ensuring a proper sealing engagement of the seal 37, withthe interlock and wall 26.

Motor 2 is properly supported and aligned within housing portion 25 bymeans of the resilient rings 42 and 43, which engage the respective endsof the motor. Ring 42 is disposed within the interlock 34 and ring 43 isdisposed within an annular seat 45 formed integrally with the top 28.Shims 46, also, are used, as required, to support the motor. Aperture 20is sealed by a conventional running seal 43, disposed between the hub 49of impeller and member 13 and a seal and seat 51 is, also, preferablymounted on hub 49.

Impeller 10 is preferably driven by means of complementary flats 52 and54 provided on shaft 7 and the interior of hub 49, respectively.

Housing 11, also, comprises a plate 55, which defines the remote(relative to motor chamber 14) end of volute 16, and in which intakeopening 22 is formed.

Pump 1 also includes means, as noted above, so that the effectivelocation of the intake opening may be selectively disposed and adjacentany side of pump 1, as well as at the bottom.

To this end pump 1 is provided with -a base 57 which is mounted on thehousing by suitable means, such as screws 58, see FIGURE 3, andconveniently retains plate 55 in position.

Base 57, see FIGURE 4, comprises an imperforate bottom member 60 and aperpendicular baffle or wall member 61, which engages against theadjacent, lower as viewed, side 63 of plate 55.

Baffle 61 is closed on three sides, has an opening 64 adjacent one edgeor side of base 57 and is shaped and disposed so that it cooperates withthe bottom member 60 and the plate 55 to define a conduit or passagewayfrom the edge 62 of the base 57 to the intake opening 22. Edge 62 ofbase 57 is preferably adapted substantially to align with the sides ofthe pump. Further base 57 is symmetrical so that by removing screws 58and rotating base 57, relative to the axis of shaft 7, the opening 55may be placed in any direction relative to the axis of the shaft, sothat the opening 64, which becomes the effective pump intake opening, isclosely adjacent the support, floor, deck, etc. upon which the pump isused no matter upon which side the pump is set. Thus the water or liquidto be pumped may be evacuated to the bottom of the receptacle, bilge orarea within which it collects, or to the level of the support upon whichthe pump is disposed, if such support be above the bottom of thereceptacle, bilge, etc.

An indicia 65, see FIGURE 3, is conveniently provided on the undersideof bottom member 60 so that the user may readily know in which directionthe opening 64 faces. As shown, the pump is disposed with the indicia,arrow, 65, pointing up, so as to dispose the opening (pump intake) atthe lower side of the pump, and the pump intake may be disposed at thelower side of the pump no matter which side the pump might be set byrotating the base as desired.

When the pump is used in an upright position, the opening 64 may extendin any direction as the effective opening will always be at the bottomof the pump.

Pump 1 is also provided with improved screen means for protecting andcovering the intake opening without regard to the direction in whichopening 64 is disposed. The screen means is adapted to provide a largescreen area without increasing the height or diameter, beyond thethickness of the material and fastening used, of the pump.

To this end a collar 66, preferably having a square perimeter and aflange 67, is mounted on the exterior of housing member 25 and basemember 57 is provided with a similar square perimeter and a flange 69.The flanges 67 and 69 extend toward each other and screen means 70 isdisposed between the collar 66 and base 57 and is retained in place bythe flanges 67 and 69. Base member 57 also, preferably includes aplurality of stops or lugs 71, which prevent the screen means from beingforced inwardly at its adjacent edges. Screen means 70 preferablycomprises four molded plastic members 73, of similar size and shape. Onescreen 73 is mounted on each side of the pump and one screen 73 ispierced as at 74, FIGURE 1, so that outlet 23 may extend therethrough.

In use a pump embodying this invention is disposed in the desired bilgeor location of use. If the pump must or is disposed to set on apredetermined or desired side, the base plate is first loosened andpositioned, using the indicia as a guide, so that opening 64 openstoward the side upon which the pump is to set. The pump is thenactuated, by any desired means, and evacuates the bilge, sump orreceptacle within which it is disposed until the liquid level therein isreduced to the level of opening 64 and the pump draws air. Screens 73protect the pump against deleterious matter which would otherwise reachthe impeller or clog the intake opening and the entire structure of thepump is economical and compact, yet efficient and effective.

Impeller 10 is preferably molded of Delrin or other plastic ofsubstantially similar material to the end that the impeller is retainedon shaft 7 by an interlocking rib and groove structure whereby the hubexpands sufficiently to permit the impeller to be pushed over shaft 7until the rib and groove are aligned annularly and then contracts sothat the rib seats in the groove retaining said impeller on said shaft.To this end shaft 7 is preferably provided with annular groove 76 andhub 49 with the complementary internal annular rib 77.

Also other complementary non-circular shapes may be used, instead offlats 52 and 54, to transmit torque between shaft 7 and impeller 10, ifdesired.

Further each screen 73 is preferably provided with spaced parallelflanges extending perpendicularly therefrom at one edge and engaging oneither side of the edge of the next adjacent screen in order to stiffenthe screen and to limit and prevent relative displacement of theadjacent edges of adjacent screens.

Modifications, changes and improvements to the preferred form of theinvention herein described may occur to those skilled in the art whocome to understand the principles and precepts thereof. Accordingly, thescope of the patent issued hereon should be limited by the advance bywhich the invention has promoted the art and not by the specificembodiment of the invention herein disclosed and described.

I claim:

1. In a submersible pump comprising a housing, a motor, disposed withinsaid housing, and having a shaft extending therefrom, and an impeller,disposed within said housing, and mounted on and driven by said shaft,the improvement of said housing comprising a first cylindrical member,having a side Wall, a closed end, an open end, and a plurality ofparallel, internal annular grooves adjacent said open end, a secondsubstantially cylindrical member having a longitudinally extendingportion with a trasverse wall intermediate its end, one end of saidlongitudinally extending portion comprising an interlock and beingdisposed within said first cylindrical member and engaging the interiorof said side Wall and having a plurality of external, parallel, annularribs, having slanted surfaces facing toward said closed end and fiat,transverse surfaces facing away from said closed end and engaging in andinterengag ing with said grooves and exerting an outwardly directedforce on said side wall, an annular groove in said interlock, a seal insaid annular interlock groove, said seal engaging and sealing betweensaid side wall and said interlock, said first cylindrical member andsaid transverse wall defining a motor chamber, said motor being disposedin said motor chamber, an aperture in said transverse wall and saidshaft extending therethru, a plate closing the end of saidlongitudinally extending portion remote from said interlock, said plate,transverse wall and longitudinally extending portion therebetweendefining a volute chamber, said impeller disposed in said volutechamber, a discharge outlet from saidvolute chamber in saidlongitudinally extending portion, an intake opening in said plate at thecenter of said impeller, a running seal on said shaft sealing saidaperture, a base detachably secured to said housing exteriorly of saidplate, said base comprising an imperforate bottom member, with a squareperimeter having a perpendicular flange extending toward said housing,and a perpendicular baflle wall extending between said bottom member andsaid plate and being closed on three sides and opening toward the fourthside adjacent one edge of said bottom member, a collar mounted on saidfirst cylindrical mem ber remote from said base and having a squareperimeter with a perpendicular flange extending toward said base, saidflanges of said collar and base being aligned, a plurality of moldedplastic screens, disposed, one to a side, between said base and collarandpositioned and restrained against outward displacement by saidflanges, respectively, and lugs on said bottom member of said baserestraining the adjacent portions of said screens, respectively, againstinward displacement.

2. In a submersible pump comprising a housing, a motor having a shaftextending therefrom, and an impeller mounted on said shaft and driventhereby, the improvement of said housing comprising a first partdefining the side wall and one end of a motor chamber within which saidmotor is disposed, a second part having a generally cylindrical sideportion and a transverse wall intermediate its ends, and a plate closingone end of said second part, said transverse wall, plate and the part ofsaid side portion therebetween defining a volute, said transverse walldefining the other end of said motor chamber, an aperture in saidtransverse wall, said motor shaft extending through said aperture andsaid impeller being disposed in said volute, a discharge outlet leadingfrom said volute and an intake opening in said plate central of saidimpeller, said part of said side portion more remote from said platethan said transverse Wall extending within said side wall, andinterengaging complementary annular rib and groove means on said sidewall and adjacent part of said side portion, respectively, and retaininga part of said side portion within said first part of said housing toclose said motor chamber.

3. The pump according to claim 2 with a base member detachably mountedon said housing, said base having a bottom member extending parallelwith said plate and a batfle wall spacing said bottom member from saidplate, said baflle Wall having an opening in one direction only, saidbaflle opening being nearer the side of said pump toward which saidbaflle opening faces than said intake opening whereby to extend saidintake opening toward said direction, said bottom member beingimperforate within said baflle wall.

4. The pump according to claim 3 in which said base is selectivelyrotatable about an axis perpendicular to said bottom member whereby toextend said intake opening in a plurality of selectively predeterminabledirections.

5. The pump according to claim 3 in which a collar is mounted on saidhousing, and screen means is carried by said collar and base and extendstherebetween, said screen means cincumscribing said pump and beingdisposed exteriorly of said baffle opening and within said iImper-forateportion of said bottom member.

6. The pump according to claim 5 in which said collar and base havealigned flanges extending toward each other and said screen means isrestrained against outward displacement by said flanges.

7. The pump according to claim 6 in which said flanges enclose a squareand said screen means comprises 'fiour members, one disposed on eachside of said square, and provide flat sides for said pump.

8. The pump according to claim 2 in Which said annular rib and groovemeans comprises a plurality of grooves and a plurality of ribs on saidside wall and side portion, and said ribs are resiliently urged intosaid grooves and have one surface sloping away from the direction ofentry of said second part into said first part and a second surfacenearest said transverse wall and substanitally parallel therewith.

9. In a submersible pump including a housing defining a motor chamberhaving a motor therein and a volute chamber having an impeller thereinadapted to be driven by the motor, and including a bottom plate havingan aperture providing an intake opening at the center of the impeller,the improvement of a base mounted on said pump, said base comprising abottom member extending parallel with said plate and a baffle wallengaging against said plate and spacing said bottom member there- .from,said baflle wall opening in one direction laterally olfset from saidintake opening, said ibottom member being imperforate within said bafllewall whereby to extend said intake opening toward said direction inwhich said baflle wall opens.

10. The pump according to claim 9 in which said base is detachablysecured to said housing and is rotatable about an axis perpendicular tosaid bottom member to dispose said bafile wall opening to open in aselectively predetermined direction whereby to extend said intakeopening in said predetermined direction.

11. The pump according to claim '10 with an indicia on the side of saidbottom-member remote from said plate to indicate the direction in whichsaid baffle Wall lopening faces.

12. The pump according to claim 7 with means to prevent relativedisplacement of the adjacent edges of adjacent screens.

13. The pump according to claim 12 in which said means comprises spacedparallel flanges formed integral with and extending perpendicular to asaid screen and engaging on either side of and adjacent said screen.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT M. WALKER,Primary Examiner.

LAURENCE V. EFNER, JOSEPH H. BRANSON, JR.,

Examiners.

1. IN A SUBMERSIBLE PUMP COMPRISING A HOUSING, A MOTOR, DISPOSED WITHINSAID HOUSING, AND HAVING A SHAFT EXTENDING THEREFROM, AND AN IMPELLER,DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING, AND MOUNTED ON AND DRIVEN BY SAID SHAFT,THE IMPROVEMENT OF SAID HOUSING COMPRISING A FIRST CYLINDRICAL MEMBER,HAVING A SIDE WALL, A CLOSED END, AN OPEN END, AND A PLURALITY OFPARALLEL, INTERNAL ANNULAR GROOVES ADJACET SAID OPEN END, A SECONDSUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL MEMBER HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDINGPORTION WITH A TRAVERSE WALL INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS, ONE END OF SAIDLONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING PORTION COMPRISING AN INTERLOCK AND BEINGDISPOSED WITHIN SAID FIRST CYLINDRICAL MEMBER AND ENGAGING THE INTERIOROF SAID SIDE WALL AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF EXTERNAL, PARALLEL, ANNULARRIBS, HAVING SLANTED SURFACES FACING TOWARD SAID CLOSED END AND FLAT,TRANSVERSE SURFACES FACING AWAY FROM SAID CLOSED END AND ENGAGING IN ANDINTERENGAGING WITH SAID GROOVES AND EXERTING AN OUTWARDLY DIRECTED FORCEON SAID SIDE WALL, AN ANNULAR GROOVE IN SAID INTERLOCK, A SEAL IN SAIDANNULAR INTERLOCK GROOVE, SAID SEAL ENGAGEMENT AND SEALING BETWEEN SAIDSIDE WALL AND SAID INTERLOCK, SAID FIRST CYLINDRICAL MEMBER AND SAIDTRANSVERSE WALL DEFINING A MOTOR CHAMBER, SAID MOTOR BEING DISPOSED INSAID MOTOR CHAMBER, AN APERTURE IN SAID TRANSVERSE WALL AND SAID SHAFTEXTENDING THERETHRU, A PLATE CLOSING THE END OF SAID LONGITUDINALLYEXTENDING PORTION REMOTE FROM SAID INTERLOCK, SAID PLATE TRANSVERSE WALLAND LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING PORTION THEREBETWEEN DEFINING A VOLUTECHAMBER, SAID IMPELLER DISPOSED IN SAID VOLUTE CHAMBER, A DISCHARGEOUTLET FROM SAID VOLUTE CHAMBER IN SAID LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDINGPORTION, AN INTAKE OPENING IN SAID PLATE AT THE CENTER OF SAID IMPELLER,A RUNNING SEAL ON SAID SHAFT SEALING SAID APERTURE, A BASE DETACHABLYSECURED TO SAID HOUSING EXTERIORLY OF SAID PLATE, SAID BASE COMPRISINGAN IMPERFORATE BOTTOM MEMBER, WITH A SQUARE PERIMETER HAVING APERPENDICULAR FLANGE EXTENDING TOWARD SAID HOUSING, AND A PERPENDICULARBAFFLE WALL EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID BOTTOM MEMBER AND SAID PLATE ANDBEING CLOSED ON THREE SIDES AND OPENING TOWARD THE FOURTH SIDE ADJACENTONE EDGE OF SAID BOTTOM MEMBER, A COLLAR MOUNTED ON SAID FIRSTCYLINDRICAL MEMBER REMOTE FROM SAID BASE AND HAVING A SQUARE PERIMETERWITH A PERPENDICULAR FLANGE EXTENDING TOWARD SAID BASE, SAID FLANGES OFSAID COLLAR AND BASE BEING ALIGNED, A PLURALITY OF MOLDED PLASTICSCREENS, DISPOSED, ONE TO A SIDE, BETWEEN SAID BASE AND COLLAR ANDPOSITIONED AND RESTRAINED AGAINST OUTWARD DISPLACEMENT BY SAID FLANGES,RESPECTIVELY, AND LUGS ON SAID BOTTOM MEMBER OF SAID BASE RESTRICTINGTHE ADJACENT PORTIONS OF SAID SCREENS RESPECTIVELY, AGAINST INWARDDISPLACEMENT.